After a contentious convention last week in Oakland County's 11th Congressional District, Matt Maddock, a key leader of the Michigan Conservative Coalition, says he is confident conservative state delegates and alternates will prevail after establishment allies of Oakland County GOP Chair Theresa Mungioli challenged the results, appealing to the Michigan Republican Party to overturn the convention despite the fact dozens mounted a walk out after it was clear they didn't have the votes to win... A decision will be announced later in the week...

"They ASSUMED that we were going to vote at-large. We had the majority. They walked out and left us with the quorum. They forfeited their right to participate by leaving the room. The district caucus voted to break into the apportioned sub caucuses as defined in the call to convention. The sub caucuses properly elected their delegates and alternates," Maddock tells WMP."When they realized they made a huge mistake by leaving the process, they started piling back into the caucuses but by that time, half the caucuses had already finished voting and had adjourned," Maddock continued. "They were successful in getting voted on in the remaining open caucuses. They messed up. Big time. They should have never left the caucus. They faked themselves out! We did noting improper. The caucus holding the quorum did what it wanted. They were in a minority and chose to not participate. It's that simple. If state party rules against what was done properly, they will expose themselves for what they decide to be."Maddock says the establishment delegates who walked out consistently make excuses for poor legislation in Lansing.

"The delegates and politicians who walked out and forfeited their right to participate in the political process were the delegates who constantly defend and enable the elected officials who voted for all these non-Republican policies:

So, ask yourself, who are the genuine republicans? Those who promote and defend policy that is against our principles or those who do whatever it takes to bring our party back inline with our principles and our platform?"

Conservative activist Shane Trejo says he was stunned by the antics on display.

"During my years of GOP activism, I have witnessed fiasco after fiasco as a result of the incompetency and malevolence of the entrenched party establishment. However, the craven behavior of the #SurrenderCaucus at last week's county convention has to take the cake. It was truly surreal watching this calculated display go down.

The GOP establishment was unable to con enough delegates out of the room to disrupt the meeting. The Maddock-led 11th was able to produce a quorum, which is what is needed under Robert’s Rules of Order to lawfully conduct a meeting. The histrionic theatrics of the establishment had officially failed! The establishment soon realized that they made a very grave error.

In a fitting bit of irony, the entire convention was conducted smoothly from that point on, and the best numbers for conservative and liberty-minded delegates were delivered yet! After the bad actors ejected themselves the room, everything was hunky dory. In a sense, the swamp drained itself in the 11th District last Thursday!

With the surrender caucus removed, principled conservative delegates treated each other with respect, rules were followed, and harmony persisted that was like a breath of fresh air. It didn’t last very long though. After failing to rally enough quitters to sabotage the 11th District sub-caucus convention, members of the surrender caucus returned.

They actually had the nerve to attempt to bully city sub-caucuses in a last-ditch attempt to get themselves elevated to be State Convention delegates.

Unfortunately for the quitters, most of the city sub-caucuses had already adjourned by the time they came crawling back for table scraps."__________________________________________________________________Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

14 comments:

As the commercial says "that's not any of this works". Some delegates are in the minority, lose some early votes, leave the room and then complain that they had "no voice" in the process. Well, to have a "voice" the people with that voice need to stay in the room. Seriously stupid leadership by the MIGOP Co Chair who led this mess to a train wreck conclusion.

The issue at hand before the planned walk out was whether or not the District had the right to exercise as a whole instead of in caucus because the caucuses were developed without the agreement or the knowledge of the County executive committee. The next step, I presume, was to vote whether we would operate as a committee of the whole or use the caucus breakdown devised by OCRP chairman Mungioli without executive committees compliance. That in fact was the next step and we who did not run off decided to use the caucuses given us by Mungioli. I too was there. Mrs. Mungioli has operated as a tyrant on several occasions and we decided to make the issue clear to all of the delegates. And yes, I was there.

What a crock! Once again Brandon chooses to show only one side of the story. I can guarantee you the results from Maddock and his malcontents will not stand. I predict the credentials committee with make the Oakland 11th meet again and have a "do over"

Maddock announced he would CHANGE THE RULES and vote in one large 11th district caucus. That is when 100 people walked out. Then, once he knew only his supporters remained, he changed the rules back to what the call to convention spelled out: community caucuses.

If the credentials committee had any "balls", they would accept the results from the rump convention and throw out Maddock's malcontents...

First of all, did Maddock properly win permanent chair for the convention? Since he did, no one should have walked out if they wanted to contest the process later. They walked out abd by doing so allowed the quorum that remained to finish the business of the convention.

I am a bit tired of the prima donnas making a fuss if the vote does not go their way. Maddock clearly had the votes for convention chair! Let the guy finish his responsibilities and then appeal but ONLY if rules were broken. There were no rules broken. Maddock held the convention as directed in the call to convention instructions.

I hope the credentials committee and the state leadership realizes that all of us delegates are watching this closely. We do not expect a duly elected chair to be over ridden because 100 or so delegates were not smart enough to do the correct thing--which was to remain in the convention hall. By exiting in rebellion they not only ceded their vote to the remaining quorum but they set a bad example for the entire state. We cannot reward bad examples.

It was not an assumption but fact. Rule 9 pertaining to breaking into sub caucuses was brought to the floor and illegally voted down, even though the majority voted to keep the rule. Video will show that the voice vote was at least twice as loud to keep rule 9 than it was to remove it. Division was called 5 times and loudly. There was absolutely no way Matt Maddock didn't hear "Division" being yelled. It was at that time the convention was in violation of State Party rules and a rump convention occurred due to a rogue Chair whose only way to get his way was to ignore the floor. I was there, I witnessed it.

You are incorrect. Please read Robert's Rules. "If a member demands a Division of the Assembly, the presiding officer must immediately retake the vote". Division is not debatable, can't be amended, can't be reconsidered, and needs no seconded.

Ronald,First of all, did anyone request a vote other than voice vote? If not, why not? Voice votes can be deceiving, at times. Tellers should have been utilized and a motion should have been made from the floor.Secondly, while breaking up into city caucuses is a good thing, I have attended conventions where this did not occur and the world did not end. In the final analysis, if 120 of 220 delegates desired a certain outcome, then that should be the outcome regardless if city caucuses or no division was used.

The goal is to represent the will of the majority of attending district candidates at state. The fact that Maddock was voted convention chair should indicate that he had majority support and that support must be reflected in Lansing. If not, regular delegates will regard this just another railroad job by the establishment. We cannot afford more of these railroad jobs.

What happened at the state chair level? Does anyone believe Scott did not want the job? It is sad that the top Michigan GOP position will be filled unopposed. This is wrong. It says the establishment does not trust the delegates with the vote. It also says that the upper brass name successors, bypassing the hard working delegates. This, too, is wrong. Outgoing leaders should have no say in who is elected.

Likewise, some districts compromise and split committee seats and chair and vice chair, etc. to avoid a vote of the delegates. What is up with that? Again, delegate votes are not trusted. Sad.

If we are willing to ask delegates to work their butts off to support election cycles, then, we must respect and honor their vote--not do all possible to stack the deck to avoid a representative vote.

Delegates are the life blood of our party. Money alone does not cut it. If we tick off enough of the delegates, we may see them leave.

My recommendation is simple. Play it straight--win or lose. If the conservative caucus has the votes, so be it. If the establishment has the votes, so be it.

Well, clearly Mr Dwyer is correct. MIGOP will uphold the challenge. Those who are not with Matt and the MCC are labeled "Establishment". We don't follow him simply because we don't like his games. Call us what you want... but don't call us SHEEP! That's a special term reserved for Matt's followers. They drank the Koolaid and now will have to stay home on convention night.